Combined gear-shifting and brake-applying device.



APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30,1917.

Patented Ndv. 26, 1918.

p erm ne resins @FFKQ- (D rill MORTIMER WILLIAM BLASIER, AUBURN, NEW YORK.

COMBINED GEAR-SHIFTING AND BRAKE-APPLYING DEVICE.

1,285,6tlih Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented hlov. as,- rare.

Application filed march so, 1917. Serial no. 158,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORTIMER W. BLAsmR, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Gear-Shifting and Brake-Applying-Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawit ings, is a full,-clear, and exact description.

T his invention relates to a combined gear Q shifting and brake-applying device for motor-driven vehicles of the internal combustion engine type, and refers more particularly to the connections between the gearshifting lever and brake-operating member or members, whereby the brake may be applied and released by said lever when in a certain position of adjustment, as for example, in it's neutral position.

parts of the device will be brought out respectively, in the The main object is to control the emergency brake and speed -changing gears through the medium of a single hand-lever.

Other objects and uses relating to specific in the following description. 1

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a gear case adapted to re-. 801 ceive the speed-changing gears, not shown,

together with the gear-shifting lever, brakeoperating rod and means for transmitting motion from said lever to the brake rod.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views, taken planes of lines 22, 3 3, and 4-4:,Fig1.

The device shown comprises agear case --1- of any suitable or well-known construction adapted to contain the usual set of @speed-changing gears (not shown), but

preferably of the sliding transmission type,

adapted to be shifted at will by a hand lever --2 through the medium of one or more gear-shlftmg arms -3-, portions of 15 which are shown in Fig. 3.

Aside from the hand lever ,2-, the particular system of speed-changing gears and means for transmitting motion from the lever -2 of said gears is immaterial and to forms no part of my present invention, but

in order that my device may be clearly understood, I have shown the gear-shifting arms 3-- mounted upon parallel rods of the lever 2 is normally registered when in its neutral position, or'when not registered with either of the recesses 8.

lit, therefore, follows that when the lever is in this neutral position, it may be rocked forwardly and rearwardly without afiecting the operation of either of the arms 3 or gears to which they are connected.

This backward andforward movement of the lever when in its neutral position is utilized for operating the usual emergencybrake (not shown) through the medium of suitable mechanism hereinafter described.

The lever 2 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends in a hollow standard -10 on the top of the case so as to be capable of lateral and longitudinal rocking; movement, and for this purpose is provided with an enlarged ball or spherical portion -.-11 seated in a socket 12 and held in place by a cap section 13- and suitable pins -14 and 15, one of which, as '15, is springpressed by a spring 16 into a recess -17 to constitute yielding means for fricf tionally locking the lever in its neutral position, at the same time permitting it to be shifted in any direction about the center of the ball and socket joint.

This lever may be shifted laterally into registration with the recess 8+ of either ofthe arms 3- and then moved longitudinally for shifting said arms to change the position of the corresponding gear, or it may be brought to the neutral position, as shown in Fig. 3, for registration with the space -9 and also moved backwardly and forwardly for operating the brake.

For this latter purpose, I have provided a lengthwise rod 18- parallel with and ,1

midway between the rods -4- and having the lower end of the lever 2 when the latter is in its neutral position.

A brake-operating member 23- 1s connected at one end by a pin 24 tothe lower side of the sleeve the opposlte .end being adapted to be connected by any suitable mechanism to the usual emergency brake (not shown) for setting and releasing the same as the lever 2- is rocked for- 20 wardly and rearwardly.

The upper side of the rod 18 is provided with a lengthwise series of teeth -25 adapted to be engaged by a pawl or detent "26- which is pivoted intermediate its ends 25 at 27 to the upper side of the sleeve -20 to work in a lengthwise slot -28 in said sleeve.

The heel of the pawl, as 29, lies in the same transverse plane as the recess 22- 30 directly under the lower end of the lever -2 and a tripping bolt -30.

M This tripping bolt 30 is guided in an opening 31 extending centrally through and lengthwise of the lever 2 and terminates at its upper end in a finger-piece.

32 which normally projects slightly above the upper end of the lever 2 to play 1n an enlarged portion 33- in the upper end of said lever against the action of a.retracting spring 3l. I

The lower end of the lever extends through anopening 35 in the top wall, as 1' of the case 1, said opening consisting of a central lengthwise slot 36 and a pair of opposite parallel slots connected to the central slot by a transverse slot -38-.

When the lever 2 is in its neutral po- .sition, its lower end is registered with the lengthwise slot 36 and transverse slot 38 and may then be moved into registration with the recess 8 of either of the gear-shifting arms 3 for selectively operatlng the desired gear, according to the speed required for forward driving or for reverse driving.

The sleeve 20 constitutes one of the members of the brake-operating mechanism.

In machines of this character, it is customary to employ at least two levers, one for shifting the transmission gears to the desired position for driving the machine, and the other for applying the emergency brake so that in case it becomes necessary to suddenly slacken the speed or stop the machine, the operator must not only operate the brake lever, but must also throw the gear-shifting lever to neutral position in order to secure the utmost safety, thus necessitating two distinct operations.

In applicants device, however, both of these operations are accomplished through the medium of a single lever,that is, when it becomes necessary to slacken the speed of or stop the machine, the lever 2 is simply shifted to its neutral position and then rocked longitudinally, as for example in the present embodiment of my invention, the

' operating member,

upper end of the lever is rocked rearwardly, thereby shifting the sleeve 20 forwardly and imparting a similar movement to the brake-operating rod 23. for applying the brakes, during which the pawl 26 automatically engages one or the other of the teeth -25 to hold the brake in its adjusted position.

In releasing the brake, it is simply neces sary to depress the finger-piece 32 by hand to release the locking pawl 26- from holding engagement with the teeth -25,

whereupon the lever may be restored to its normal or neutral position ready for adjustment to engage one or the other of the arms 3 for shifting the desired transmission gear.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that various modifications of the means for transmitting motion from the lever -2 to the brake-operating member, as 23, may be employed without departing from the'spirit of my invention, and,

therefore, I do not wish the precise construction and described.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a gear-shifting member and a brake-operating member, of a single hand lever adjustable to one position for operating the gear-shifting member, and to another position for operating the brake-operating member,

2. The combination with a gear-shifting member of a speed-changing gearland a brake-operating member, of a hand lever adjustable laterally into and out ofengagement with said members and having an independent movement for operating either member independently of the other.

3. In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination with a gear-shifting member of a speed-changing gear and a slidable brakeof a lever adjustable to one position for engaging and operating the gear-shifting member and to another position for engaging and operating the brakeoperating member.

4. In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination with a gear-shifting member of a speedchanging gear and a. brake-operating member, of a hand lever adjustable to one position for engaging and operating the gearto limit myself to herein illustrated shifting member and to another position for engaging and operating the brake-operating member, movable means for holding the brake-operating member in its adjusted position, and means on the lever for tripping said holding means.

6. In a combined gear-shifting and brakeoperating device, the combination of a gearshifting member and a slidable brake-operating member, a hand lever adjustable to one position for engaging .andoperating the gear-shifting member and to another position for engaging and operating the brake-' operating member.

7. In a combined gear-shifting and brake;

operating device, the combination, of a guide, a brake-operating member slidable thereon, a gear-shifting member at one side of the brake-operating member, a hand lever movable in the same plane into and out of engagement with each of said members and aving an independent movement-for operating the member engaged thereby independently of the other member, said guide being provided with a toothed rack, a pawl on the brake-operating member for engaging the teeth of said rack, and means on the lever for tripping the pawl.

8. The combination of a speed changing gearing and an operating lever therefor, normally in a neutral position and having a forward'and rearward movement independently of said gearing when in said neutral position, and a brake-operating member in the path of said movement.

9. The combination with a speed changing gearing and an operating lever therefor having a forward and rearward movement when in its neutral position, and brake-applying means having operative connection with said lever only when the latter is in its neutral position.

' 10. The combination with a speed chang ing gearing and an operating lever therefor having a forward and rearward movement when in its neutral position, and brake-applying means having operative connection with said lever only when the latter is in its neutral position, and means for holding said means in its braking position when adjusted by said lever.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26 day of March, 1917. r

MORTIMER WILLIAM BLASTER.

Witnesses:

v, .WM. J.- PERKINS, G O. H. LEONARD. 

